Pages

Monday, November 21, 2016

Saturday night, Sacramento: two shows, and guess who is, and who is not, welcome back to town?

Craig Mabbitt, Escape The Fate, at the Boardwalk

Saturday evening, the week before Thanksgiving, and there's a huge show planned at Sacramento's new Golden One Center: Kanye West is in town. People have spent a fortune on tickets; more than $100 for a lower-level seat, and if you have several family members together, that's a lot of hard-earned money. It's a really big event for the new downtown arena: a big-name star, appearing right in the heart of the rejuvenation of downtown! No doubt the show was impeccably staged, well produced, and beautifully lit--exactly what you'd expect from a major tour. However.

Elias Soriano, Nonpoint, The Boardwalk

Across town, at a vintage, homely roadhouse, Orangevale's Boardwalk, an equally-excited crowd packs the venue. Whether they're waiting for teen-emo-metal-idols Escape The Fate, or mature, hardworking, dreadlocked rockers Nonpoint, they are all thrilled to be at the show. They are packing the venue to the doors, from 6 pm on, and guess what? They paid around $20 for the opportunity to see five bands, all of whom played their hearts out. The stage is tiny, the lighting almost non-existant, but the music was good and very entertaining, and lasted all evening long, beginning well before 7 pm and stretching towards midnight, with barely enough time to move equipment between each set.

Nonpoint, The Boardwalk

It's the fourth time I've photographed Escape The Fate in as many years. On Saturday, they seemed really happy, enjoying the time on stage, and really having fun with the fans. (They are being helped out by drummer Trixx--Robert Ortiz is back home looking after family, new twins I think I heard!)

The crowd who went to The Boardwalk, instead? They'll be happy to see Escape the Fate and Nonpoint back in town, any time they care to visit. Let's make it soon!!! (The moral of this story... it's not always the expensive shows that are the most enjoyable... and you don't have to spend a fortune to have a good night out, with excellent live music.)

The show was really tricky to photograph. Not quite as impossible as Echo and the Bunnymen, but close. Escape The Fate's set was bathed in pale, red light (hence most of the photos in the gallery being rendered in black-and-white). Nonpoint's set was lit by... just take a look at the gallery. It was not easy to capture in the camera, not at all, but hopefully the atmosphere comes across.

HOW TOON'S TUNES WORKS

All photos are on the Toon's Tunes gallery server at http://alisontoon.com. If any older post is missing photos, go to the performers' gallery in the Music section of http://alisontoon.com - you'll find them there. Check info about licensing editorial images on the About page. Some images are restricted for use in Toon's Tunes/Cameras And Cargos galleries only.